Growth and innovation in the global market of automotive equipment

According to research carried out by Technavio, one of the leading market research companies, the global market of shot blasting and sandblasting machinery will grow with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 4.32{79468538b034cc3753534408ca972a18fd0e4807e752cc2bd53872231ad73f99} in the period from 2017-2021.

According to research experts, one of the main reasons for this development is the growing demand from the automotive industry, one of the largest consumers of shot blasting and sandblasting equipment: These two treatments are generally carried out on vehicle chassis to smooth and clean the surface before applying paint, removing burrs and giving the bodywork and other treated components the resistance and consistency required.

Shot blast machines use steel shot, glass balls, coal, copper and nickel slag, ice and plastic pellets, depending on the treatment to be carried out and the material to be processed. A sandblaster generally uses silica sand. After being subjected to a flow of abrasive material fired from turbines, the treated components are smoothed, cleaned and reinforced.

The shot blasting machine market comprises a large number of international players. The need for greater efficiency in order to meet the increasingly specific needs of end users is leading to the growing use of automated and robotic systems. This is a major challenge for the global market of industrial surface treatments.

In recent years, the manufacturers’ catalogue of systems has seen the addition of specific models for a broad range of applications. Automatic systems and robotic shot blasting systems are being increasingly used due to their high performance and operating precision, thus reducing the need for human intervention at production plants.

Just as an example, Turbotecnica Engineering, an Italian company with a branch also based in Ohio, USA, has designed various shot blasting systems for companies in the automotive industry to treat light alloy die-cast materials. Each system is equipped with software that controls production, finishes and transfer times that are characteristic of each component in order to increase productivity and produce components that are ready for the assembly line.

About Turbotecnica Engineering

For over 30 years, Turbotecnica Engineering has been active on the market designing and manufacturing standard, special and tailor-made shot blasting systems. The company has invested heavily in human resources and facilities, building its main production plant in Italy, which covers more than 6,000 square metres.